The future - Indicating the future using 'will'

The future

52 It is not possible to talk with as much certainty about the future as it is about the present or the past. Any reference you make to future events is therefore usually an expression of what you think might happen or what you intend to happen.

Indicating the future using 'will'

53 If you want to say that something is planned to happen, or that you think it is likely to happen in the future, you use the modal 'will' in front of the base form of the verb. This is called the future tense.

Nancy will arrange it.

These will be dealt with in chapter 7.

'I will check,' said Brady.

When will I see them?

What do you think Sally will do?

You will come back, won't you?

If the subject is 'I' or 'we' the modal 'shall' is sometimes used instead of 'will' to talk about future events.

I shall do everything I can to help you.

You will stay at home and I shall go to your office.

'We shall give him some tea.' Naomi said.

'Will' and 'shall' are also used in several ways as modals. For more information, see Chapter

general truths 54 If you want to talk about general truths and to say what can be expected to happen if a particular situation arises, you use the future tense.

When peace is available, people will go for it.

An attack of malaria can keep a man off work for three days. He will earn nothing and his family will go hungry.

indicating certainty 55 If you are sure that something will happen because arrangements have been made, you can use the future continuous tense.

I'll be seeing them when I've finished with you.

She'll be appearing tomorrow and Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall.

I'll be waiting for you outside.

Dear Professor Zapp, I gather you'll be using my room while you're here.

They'll spoil our picnic. I'll be wondering all the time what's happening.

Our people will be going to their country more.

Note that an adjunct of time or an adjunct of frequency is normally required with the future continuous tense.

56 If you are referring to something that has not happened yet but will happen before a particular time in the future, you can use the future perfect tense.

By the time he is twenty a countryman will have killed a considerable number of animals.

Maybe by the time we get to the dock he'll already have started.

Maybe when you come up, you'll have heard from your sister.

Note that you must indicate the future time referred to by using an adjunct or another clause.

57 If you want to indicate the duration of an event at a specific time in the future, you can use the future perfect continuous.

By March 1990, he will have been working for this organization for twelve years.

The register will have been running for a year in May.

Note that you need to use an adjunct of time to indicate the future and an adjunct of duration to state the duration of the event.

Other ways of indicating the future

58 If you think the event you are referring to will happen quite soon or if you are stating your intention that it will happen, you can use 'be going to' followed by an infinitive.

I'm going to explore the neighbourhood.

Evans knows lots of people. He's going to help me. He's going to take me there.

I think the Social Democrats are going to have some problems ahead of them.

We're going to see a change in the law next year.

59 You can also use 'be due to' and 'be about to' to refer to planned future events that you expect to happen soon. They are followed by infinitive clauses.

He is due to start as a courier shortly.

It's due to be completed in 1996.

Another 385 people are about to lose their jobs.

Are we about to be taken over by the machine?

Adjuncts with future tenses

60 When you want to make a general or vague reference to future time, you use an adjunct which refers to indefinite time.

I'll drop by sometime.

Sooner or later he'll ask you to join him there.

In future she'll have to take sedentary work of some sort.

Here is a list of adjuncts of indefinite time which are used mainly with future tenses:

61 Adjuncts which include the word 'tomorrow' are mainly used with future tenses.

We'll try somewhere else tomorrow.

Shall I come tomorrow night?

He'll be here the day after tomorrow.

This time tomorrow I'll be in New York.

'next' 62 Some adjuncts mainly used with future tenses involve time expressions with 'next'. It you are using a specific day or month such as 'Saturday' or 'October', you can put 'next' either before or after the day or month, 'next' is placed in front of the time reference.

Next week Michael Hall will be talking about music.

Next summer your crops win be very much better.

I think we'll definitely be going next year.

Will your accommodation be available next October?

The boots will be ready by Wednesday next.

A post mortem examination will be held on Monday next.

She won't be able to do it the week after next.